Respirator, Anti-Gas, Light (Post-War)
|country = |period = 1950s - 1970s (possibly longer)|issued = |manufacturer = Avon Rubber, L&B Rubber|image = Light Anti-Gas Respirator Mk. 6 (Upgraded Harness)|filter = Light III}}The LAG, officially named the "Respirator, Anti-Gas, Light", was a mask which helped pave the way for other Lightweight Respirstors of the time. After the war, the 17 designations of Light Anti-Gas Respirator were dropped at the point of the LAG Mk. V mask. By the early 50s, a new model was created known as the Mk. 6 and later, in 1957, the Mk. 7. These two Respirators Served the British Armed Forces up-to and beyond the transition of Service Respirator No. 6. Design Light Anti-Gas Respirators Mk. 6 and 7 saw fewer changes to their design during their time in service and also avoided the excessive naming conventions of the Second World War. Whilst the wartime Light, Anti-Gas respirators had a total of five primary designations and 17 total designations, Post-War Mk. 6 and 7 Respirators have but two primary designations and a few niche variants. Breakdown of the Components Light Anti-Gas Respirators Mk. 6 and 7 feature a lot of components heavily based on WWII components, all of which retain the same name. L3-4 Mask: The mask, otherwise known as the faceblank, is the central component of the mask, the rubber mask itself. The L3 faceblank was initially introduced in 1944 however, comparitively, the L3-4 mask has been imporved significantly. The L3-4 mask is very flexible yet thick with a comfortable and secure feeling. The mask is significantly lighter than the common L1 and L2 masks of the war yet is heavier than that of the Canadian C3's "C-1" mask. Compared to the L3 mask of the war, the L3-4 prefers a more flexible quality to the more-so solid feel of the L3 wartime mask used on the Mk. IV and V LAGs. The L3-4 can be identified by it's flat nose, as opposed to masks which featured a bossed triangle shape at the same point. Aside from this and the general flexibility, the L3-4 mask is cut the thinnest of all British Light-type masks, including the wartime L3. The final way to identify this mask, as with all other British and Canadian masks, is to look for the designation inside the mask where the nose would lie. The designation should read L3 with the number 4 written below and a horizontal line between the two parts of the designation. L3 Holder, Valve: Whilst identical in shape and size to the WWII Period L3 Valve Holder (see on LAGs Mk. III and V), the Post-War L3 Valve Holder varies in that it contains a speech diaphragm screwed into the inside of the bossed centre. This part allows the wearer to communicate much more clearly and, due to the shape of the diaphragm, the L2 exhale valve is secured in place a little better helping to prevent the notorious buzzing sound which can come from WWII L3 Valve Holders. This part is secured using a layer or wax-like brown tape, two pieces of wrapped wire and finally an extra coat of the same tape over the top of the wire. This tape is mostly associated with Mk. 6 and 7 LAGs however, there have been a few examples of masks, which are very likely Mk. Vs, which used this same tape. However, most war-time versions have seen heavy degredation in this tape. No. 4 Mk. II Harness: The final wartime component to be upgraded and reused on this mask was the No. 4 Mk. II head-harness. This harness is very similar to the WWII LAG's L2 harness and features a canvas hexagon connected to the 6 point head harness with adjustable straps. The difference seems to be the quality of material used on the straps. The black elasticated fabric used with the Post-War No. 4 Mk. II harnesses is the same material that would be used on Service Respirator No. 6. When compared to the older L2 harnesses, the newer material seems to have a much better service life. Whilst some1944 made L2 harnesses are crumbling, No. 4 Mk. IIs made a mere 8 years later are in extremely good condition. Around 1964, the remaining Light Anti-Gas Respirators in service, regardless of whether they were an Mk. 6 or 7, were fitted with unnammed, OD Green head harnesses which seem mostly identical to the 50s No. 4 Mk. II aside from the strap and canvas head-pad colour. This newer design better matched the straps of Service Respirator No. 6, the mask which was, by this point, the primary Service Respirator for Britain. These later harnesses seem to bare little difference in quality and were likely created from accessible materials to replace any worn head-harnesses during the transitionary period or to keep for war-stock. Kit Contents & Progression Since WWII, the Light Anti-Gas kit saw numerous changes but ultimately remained the same in principal. Following the war, one standard kit was used though some variations have been found to have occured around the 1956/7 mark with the introduction of the LAG Mk. 7. 1952 Pattern Kit: 1957 Pattern Kit: 1964 Pattern Kit: Comparison between the Mk. 6 & 7 Respirators, Anti-Gas, Light served seemingly interchangably by the 60s due to the fact that there were very few differences between the models. However, some minor points were changed between the two models which set them apart from eachother. Similarities between the Mk. 6 & 7 Both models share a lot of components in common. Firstly, the L3 Valve Holder that was used on WWII Masks designated Mk. III and Mk. V continued service with both Mk. 6 and 7 Respirators. The only difference was that a speech amplifying device was screwed into the inside of the bossed centre. The Mk. 6 and 7 Respirators also shared the same head-harnesses. Both originally used No. 4 Mk. II harnesses, likely upgraded from the original wartime harnesses bearing the same designation. Into the 1960s, both masks recieved upgraded green-coloured harnesses with no clear designation. Differences between the Mk. 6 & 7 Whilst both models shared a lot in common, there were a few key upgrades to the Mk. 6 Light Anti-Gas Respirator when designing the Mk. 7. Whilst both Respirators use the mask designated L3-4 (potentially an upgrade to the 1944 L3 mask seen on LAG Mk. IVs and Vs), the L3-4 mask used on the Mk. 7 LAG actually includes two differences. The Mk. 7's L3 mask includes both a slight extention to the support fabric for the nose area, reaching up onto the two support beams, but it also includes a lip at the point of the chin. The coating of the fabric support also features a hatched effect over the top of it. It is likely that this version of the mask was designated "L3-4?" with the "?" being an additional letter. Unfortuately, current examined examples are too obscured by the hatching effect applied over the fabric support. The most notable difference between the two is the fact that the Mk. 7s were all painted black. Some Mk. 6 masks have been seen with black painted parts but only the true Mk. 7s use all black parts. The final difference between these two respirators is in the lenses. Mk. 6 Respirators use Mk. III Lenses whilst the 1956/7 made Mk. 7 Respirators use Mk. IV lenses. The difference between the two is that the Mk. IIIs, used from the Mk. IV General Service Respirator, all through the war until the Light Anti-Gas Mk. 6, use threads. This means that the two parts can easily be unscrewed to allow for easier lens replacement. The Mk. IV lenses do not feature threads and would likely have either been opened with a special tool or perhaps just replaced entirely. Category:Full Face Masks Category:Military Gas Masks Category:United Kingdom Category:World War II Era Mask